Keeping your Cat Safe & Healthy this Winter

As you are all aware it is coming up to Christmas and as you know the weather can change rapidly. It Is highly important that your cat is kept safe and warm this winter.

Keeping your cat warm

Make sure you provide a warm place for your cat especially if your cat loves the outdoors. Cats which are left outdoors usually climb into a warm place, such as a garage, outbuilding, or even areas such as a car engine to keep warm. This can mean the cat is in danger of being locked in, or in the case of a car engine, can be highly dangerous when the engine is started.

Check your cat flap regularly to prevent your cat from being left outside in the cold, cat flaps can ice over in the winter months.

It is always important to provide elderly cats with a warm place as the cold can affect arthritic joints during the winter months.

How to keep your cat safe

Oh, we do love a real tree at Christmas! But if only we knew the risks of having a real tree with a cat. Tree’s such as pines are toxic to cats, it can cause skin irritation and vomiting. Pine needles are highly dangerous for cats if ingested they can puncture intestines, so avoid a real tree this Christmas, wherever possible.

Your cat does not need heated / cooked food, just because it is cold outside. Always stick to a cat’s usual diet and never give your cat cooked meat, such as chicken or turkey, with bones, as cooked bones can splinter and cause serious internal damage when stuck in the digestive system.

Make sure your cat’s paws and fur are cleaned thoroughly when returning into the house as they can carry harmful substances such as road grit, or chemicals, such as anti-freeze.

Keeping your cat healthy

In the winter months you may notice that your cat is eating more than usual but not to worry, a recent study shows that cats eat at least 15% more in the winter months than they do in the summer months as they need food to fuel their bodies. The reason behind this is that when the temperature drops a cat will use more energy to maintain its body temperature.

How to prevent your cat’s hair from shedding

Cat’s hair sheds all year round depending on the climate and also their state of health. The answer is to choose a high-protein diet. If you are currently feeding your cat processed wet or dry food, then switching them to raw food is the best option. Dry cat food contains a high carbohydrate content which is not necessary in a carnivore’s diet, cats should be having no more than 5% carbohydrate in their diet.

A raw food, high in protein, is more digestible, giving your cat increased energy, even during these colder, wetter months.

Your cat is able to digest and utilise the ingredients in raw food as this replicates what it would eat in the wild. Raw cat food contains high quality fresh ingredients which your cat’s coat thrives on!

Keeping your cat warm & cosy this winter and feeding him a species appropriate raw diet will maintain his energy levels and make for a happy, healthy cat!